Day after revolt SAD's working committee reposes faith in Badal

     Chandigarh, Jun 26 (PTI) A day after a section of Shiromani Akali Dal leaders revolted against its chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, the party on Wednesday said its working committee reposed faith in the leadership of Badal.
     The committee also asked "detractors" not to play into the hands of enemies of 'panth'.
     On Tuesday, some senior SAD leaders demanded that Badal should step down as party chief following its debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.
     "Shiromani Akali Dal Working Committee reposes complete faith in the leadership of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and urges detractors not to play into the hands of Panth's enemies. The committee asks the president to lead the efforts to expose conspiracies against the party, 'panth' and Punjab," said the party in a post on X.
     Besides Badal, the meeting of the working committee here was attended by party leaders including Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Daljit Singh Cheema, Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Hira Singh Gabria and Paramjit Singh Sarna.
     Meanwhile, questioning Badal's capability to lead the 103-year-old outfit, rebel party leader and former minister Sikandar Singh Maluka on Wednesday said the SAD faced drubbing in four elections in a row under the leadership of Badal.
     Disgruntled party leaders on Tuesday had announced that a 'SAD bachao' movement would be launched next month.
     Apart from Maluka, other prominent leaders who raised a banner of revolt included former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, ex-MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala, former ministers Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Sarwan Singh Phillaur, and Surjit Singh Rakhra, and party leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur.
     The SAD had called the rebel leaders "frustrated elements sponsored by the BJP" to weaken it.
     Maluka said generally a party president quits his position when the party loses an election.
     "The SAD faced debacle in four elections consecutively under his (Badal) leadership," he told PTI, while pointing towards 2017 and 2022 assembly elections and 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
     "The party's graph is going downwards. One should give a chance to some other person," said Maluka, whose daughter-in-law Parampal Kaur Sidhu unsuccessfully fought from the Bathinda seat on a BJP ticket.
     The SAD could win only 15 out of the 117 assembly segments in 2017 and three in the 2022 assembly polls. In 2019, the party could win only two of 13 Lok Sabha constituencies.
     The party faced a drubbing in the 2024 general elections as it could manage to win only one seat in Punjab. Badal's wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal retained the Bathinda seat.
     SAD's 10 candidates lost security deposits in the polls while its vote share dropped to 13.42 per cent from 27.45 per cent in 2019.
     Asked that SAD had called the disgruntled leaders "frustrated elements sponsored by the BJP", Maluka trashed the charge, asking, "what connection we have (with BJP)".
     "Our only agenda is to save and revive Akali Dal. It is also our agenda to strengthen the party," he said.
     Taking a swipe at Badal, Maluka said the SAD chief never tried to pacify any party member if he was upset.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)